Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 2.djvu/350

 "Why did you strike and curse the skull?" said I.

"It is a vile Bengalī skull; and those sons of slaves, when we ask a question, only laugh and give no answer."

"Perhaps they do not understand your up-country language."

"Perhaps not, that may be the reason; but we hate them."

6th.—Two miles above Calcutta:—the day was fine, the wind very heavy, but favourable: the view of the shipping beautiful; I enjoyed it until I remembered my crew were up-country men, from Hurdwar, who had never seen the sea, and knew not the force of the tides. We drifted with fearful velocity through the shipping; they threw the anchor overboard, but it would not hold; and away we went, our great unwieldy boat striking first one ship then another; at length a gentleman, seeing our danger as we were passing his pinnace, threw a rope on board, which the men seized, and having fastened it, brought up the vessel. All this time I was on deck, under a burning sun, and we did not anchor until 12 at noon; consequently, that night I was very ill, the beating in my head fearfully painful, and I fainted away three times; but it was of no consequence, I was in the hands of a kind friend, and soon recovered.

9th.—The ships lie close to the drive near the Fort, and visiting them is amusement for a morning. I went on board the "Earl of Hardwicke,"—she could not accommodate me; thence I proceeded to the "Madagascar," and took one of the lower stern cabins for myself, for which I was to give 2500 rupees; and a smaller cabin, at 1300 rupees, for my friend's three children, who were to accompany me to England. At the same time I engaged an European woman to attend upon me and the young ones. Going to sea is the only chance for the poor boys, after the severe fever they had on the river, from the effects of which they are still suffering.

The larboard stern cabin suits me remarkably well; it is very spacious, sufficient to contain a number of curiosities; and before the windows I have arranged a complete forest of the horns of the buffalo, the stag, and the antelope.

20th.—A steamer towed the "Madagascar" down the river, and the pilot quitted us on the 22nd, from which moment we